by Wezi Simkoko
I heard a pastor say, “when you present your work, you have to be able to say that you have done it to the best of your ability”. That statement changed the way I lived my life.
I came to the understanding that God created us in his image, and he does all things well. He has given us responsibilities here on earth that may involve a lot of struggle and hard work.
At times, our desire to attain perfection in our pursuits cause us to forget people God has placed in our lives and even God himself.
To state the obvious, we can overbear one end to the other, work more and trust God less or trust God and not work to the best of our ability.
Deceptive work does not benefit anyone in the end. While some may appear to gain from it, they lack understanding that all deception will be revealed and be reckoned with on Judgment Day. We see this in many places: cheaters in school, employees stealing money from their employers, and corrupt government officials personally benefiting from funds that are supposed to benefit the country. This is not encouraged for a Christian at all. I was once tempted to bribe my driving instructor to get my license, but I decided against it. Thanks to the Lord, after taking the test I passed at my first go.
We know from the Bible, particularly the book of Proverbs, that laziness leads to poverty. The Lord gives us time and ability, and we are to manage them as faithful stewards. Yet overworking ourselves can also be a hindrance to rest.
“It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.” Psalm 127:2
Now that I am married I have so much planning and so much to think about being a wife and a tailor, to satisfy the needs of my husband first, my home, and then my customers. The Lord, however, has taught me to manage my time, by trusting in Him and being able to turn down a client when I know I will not be able to meet their timeframe or if work will cause me to stay up all night. I know that it is the Lord who provides clients, he will provide more. It is alright to ask the one who created sleep to give us sleep. My goal every day is to get those 7-8 hours in and leave the rest to God.
Rest helps us trust in the Lord’s provision for us. We don't need to fear tomorrow when we can trust that we have done enough today and leave everything up to the Lord.
Finally, there is honest work. This is the opposite of working deceitfully. Working for selfish interests is not in line with God’s will for a Christian’s life. In his letter to the Philippian church, Paul admonished some for “seeking their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 2:21)
In all our work, we are to work for the glory of God. We are encouraged to work honestly not as people-pleasers or to make ourselves look better than others, but as unto the Lord. This simply means that no matter where we are, whom we work for, so long as it is not leading us to sin against God, our work must be praiseworthy. This pleases the Lord.
While we may work to the best of our ability, the balance hangs in committing our plans to the Lord (Proverbs 16:3 and 16:9). We may have a plan, but the Lord’s purposes prevail.
What a comforting way to work, to commit our plans to the Lord. When we have committed our plans to him, given our all, we will not despair when things have not gone our way. We will know that it is for our good. We will also rejoice when what we desire has come to pass knowing that it is the Lord’s doing. Whatever our aims may be, whether it is to provide for our families, to help a brother, to support ministry, or grow our business, we must tell it to the Lord every rising of the morning and thank him for the day no matter the outcome.
May we remember the Lord in our work always.
Wezi Simkoko is a Christian saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. She enjoys sewing and spending time with her husband, Daniel. Please submit any questions or comments for Wezi in the contact form below.
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